West Coast Blues n Roots - Perth, 23rd-24th March 2013

Words: Todd Lockley

The music lover’s festival was back in the beautiful surrounds of the port city’s Fremantle Park for the 10th anniversary edition of the West Coast Blues and Roots festival. Growing larger by the year, this instalment being spread out over 2 days of legendary artists, crisp sunshine and frequent visits by the Fremantle Dr. Launching Saturday’s proceedings in the big top, Russell Morris made his way through a large portion of new album, Sharkmouth, before delving into fan favourite The Real Thing, his voice unwithered by age and as strong as ever as the “ooh ma ma ma ma’s” drenched the up for it early birds. The hits from way back when featured heavily as San Franciscans The Steve Miller Band opened with Jungle Love and Take The Money And Run. Catching his breath after the fast paced beginning Miller offered “here’s a little magic for ya” as the hocus pocus of Abracadabra snuck its way through the crowd. Fly Like An Eagle, Rock’n Me and Jet Airliner had most people on their feet rock’n away, before The Joker rounded out one of the finest sets of the weekend. Under the big top Status Quo were showing the enthusiasm of a much younger band, blasting through Down Down, Whatever You Want and the all out romp of Rocking All Over The World, proving to a jam packed crowd they’ve still got it. The sexy, suave sounds of Fremantle standard showman Chris Isaak brought soulful hit after hit as he paraded his way through covers of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, the evanescent Isaak is always a joy to watch, carrying a charisma and endless catalogue of hits that kicked off with Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing, Blue Hotel, the feel good Cheap Trickiness of I Want You To Want Me and his own epic ballad of forbidden love, Wicked Game.

There were questions of which incarnation of Santana would be gracing the stage for this year’s festival, having had Carlos Santana tour solo in recent years and rumours circulating that it was only the backing band that played with him in the glory years. However, as the main man, with guitar in hand, graced the stage, the crowd erupted as they were to enjoy the more traditional sounds of this genius of the axe, as well as the soulful sounds of a full brass and rhythm section.

He toyed with the crowd playing licks from While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Light My Fire and brought joy to so many fans witnessing grand renditions of Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman. Stepping up to the mic to address his adoring fans he said, “when you go home, I want you to look in the mirror and say I am meaningful, I am beautiful and I can make a difference”. It was one of the more tender moments of the day before he took to the flamenco and presented more recent hits Maria, Maria and Smooth, which sounded much better minus Rob Thomas.

Iggy and The Stooges were as trashy as ever. Iggy forgot his shirt once again (has he ever actually worn one?) as he and the Stooges brought a surprisingly upbeat and energetic show, working through the classic Search And Destroy, I Wanna Be Your Dog as well as set highlight Gimme Danger, they’ve still got it.

Co-headliner Robert Plant, minus Led Zeppelin, this time accompanied by The Sensational Shapeshifters, brought one of the most recognizable voices in rock, though his take on the hits were unfamiliar as re-worked versions of Whole Lot Of Love, The Enchanter

and Black Dog were aired to the masses. On tonight’s journey there would be no Stairway To Heaven which was a major let down, as Rock N’ Roll signaled the end to this trip down memory lane.

Honourable mentions of the day must go to Newton Faulkner who rolled his ginger ninja way through radio hit Dream Catch Me and fedora wearing Jason Mraz with his infectious I’m Yours priming the Saturday crowd as the sunset for the main course. The still beautiful Bonnie Raitt also put on a much better performance than the boredom happening on the main stage as she worked through the feel good Something To Talk About and a rocking cover of Golden Earring’s Right Down The Line. The most unfortunate, disappointing, boring set of the weekend came from Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite. Working through nothing familiar accept maybe a cover of Zeppelin’s When The Levy Breaks, there was no Burn To Shine or Steal My Kisses and only a snippet of an almost unrecognisable Diamonds On The Inside. Musselwhite was the stand out, working the harmonica and with his old school rock n roll vocals shinning through a drab set. Yes it’s a blues and roots festival, and they played a blues and roots set, but it was boring and definitely not what people wanted pre headliner Paul Simon.

Wandering out onstage in a baseball cap, denim jeans and a black button shirt, the main course of the two-dayer, Simon launched into Gumboots from his 1986 smash hit album Graceland. “Hello my friends, beautiful night to here”. And it was. What more could you ask for? Serenity, a beautiful evening and Paul Simon playing on your doorstep. Bliss.So Beautiful or So What welcomed in Mother And Child Reunion, a song Simon said was inspired by Jimmy Cliff, who funnily enough, was winding up his set under the big top at the same time. The frenetic pace of last year’s head liner John Foggerty was missing, but the hit count wasn’t, as Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes and Late In the Evening rounded out the main set. Armed with his guitar, Simon left the rest of his band in the wings as he took centre stage alone for a beautiful rendition of Sounds Of Silence and was then was joined again for a horn section driven, all-out romp of the song everyone had came to hear, You Can Call Me Al. As time clicked over to closing time, Simon laid out the grooves of Graceland and waved goodbye to a standing ovation Once again the West Coast Blues And Roots festival had delivered. There were more than enough memorable moments and feel good vibes to carry everyone along until we can do it all again next year.